Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-06-16


the plan was spscdily dcvise' by taking this
theory a. Its foundation, viz certain stu
dies have direct value in the special life-
calling which tho youth proposes to under
let him take up thcse and
devote his cntir cncrgics to them. Let him
elect what he vii, study. lie ought to know
best. There must be no intellectual Prucrus.
team bed upon which he shall be- stretched. |
A free country demands this quite ~ much rs |
the necessity Of special preparation for his |
future calling, that he shall have no hin |
draucc to tho study Of any subject that he
may think desirable or necessary. Aud 81,
ignoring the idea that the early training Of
the body mind aud spirit Of the young must
really bc the same, that there are certain
similar kinds Of fool required by all three so
that they shall become sufficiently strong to
do manly work In accordance with the bent,
inclination or taste that may select or control
their litc-work, rk,-ignoring this idea, tho
movement was made to break up all fixed
currcula, and to leave the whole subject of
training In its details to the Judgment or
whim Of the youth to be trained.
THE ELECTIVE SYSTEM.
Some of the large colleges appeared anx-
ious SO to encourage this tendency as to
make the whole curriculum subject to the
individual choice, to throw aside all that had
been approved rs best fitted to give q round
ovenuate in fitness for fair. intelligent, sIc-
cial work. whether professional or technical,
whenever the time should come for taking IT
up. Electives became the prominent feature
of the college curriculum. and a fixed course
Of studies \ singularly rare feature. The
smaller institutions, carried away by the eN-
ample of the larger, or influenced by the
hope of securing an increase Of students for
themselves through marching in tho front
rank of this movement, became moro radical
in their practices than their cNempars aud
more inimical to tho system Of education
which tries to train, to furnish mental disci-
plinc. and to ii for life in all parts So that
the individual may find useful results Of in
finitcly greater value than can he estimated in
money. The fashion was established. The
hobby or fetish which our colleges delight ii
TO worship was named " the useful, mean
ing by the name that which has value that
can bc eN pressed in dollars and cents. For
this they shouted Iiedt, while they mutter
ed " th angry emphasis "Itredt at the men
tion of any study that savored ofpure intellec-
| tual training or gradual development for the
| ambitious youth. OF course there was sem.
blance of propriety in this plan of submit.
| ting electives to the student, So that he
| might direct his attention towards the pur-
| suit which was to be his own in the future.
| but the egrcgous error with those who We're
honestly connected with the movement Was
the ignoring the fact that the choice was por-
mitted before sufficient knowledge had been
acquired by the youth to make it Intelligent
| ly that the cool deliberation of q fhll-grown
man, bodily, mentally aud spiritually, had
| been granted in cases where there existed
great necessity for tarrying much longer al
an academic Jericho until the growth of the
| intellectual beard would give evidence of a
full adult manhood. Electives were offered
To the Freshman long before he could posi-.
| bly, So command the whole of the intellectual
| field as to know where his mental energies
would iud their most congenial home. 1hs
/ power Of choice was granted before he had
attained his intellectual majority. The laws
of the land denied him the right of elective
franchise before he had reached the age OF
twenty -onc, and yet, although unable u ex
/ ercise this in a country where young children
| are conversaut with the politics and the rc
cords of politicians, the youth of sixteen ol
seventeen, was supposed to be able to deter
| mine much more important questions fo
Of An election of the highest pcr:ona
| value.
LAW AND LIBERTY.
The result of this movement was not con
| fined to the mere matter of choice Of studies
1t was still more comprehensive. Its legit
. mate tendency was the removal Of all limits
tions upon youth. and the obliteration of a.
/ line. In the movement to put the youthful
individual whim beyond the control of til
| experienced and the uniform conclusions q
| the past, the principle of no restrictions
| save those which the laws of the land impos
for their infraction, asserted itself Colleg
'scipline had been based either upon a cod
Of laws consisting largely of "thou shal
nots with penalties annexed, which a
times became wearisome and obnoxious +
the youth who was to be trained in the col
lege to the accurate performance Of his task
| from a high sense of duty--or upon a
enumeration Of tasks aud a statement q
regulations which were laid down with az
peal to a gentlemanly sense of honor fo
their observance, and whose persistent vic
latiOn could only bc punished by a remova
of the diseased member from the otherw is
healthy body. The latter was the favorit
method with the best educators. The studer
while at the school required detailed regula
tions involving prohibitions and prouabl
| petty Penalties, but there was to he some
what larger liberty so as TO tit him for tn
: future when he was to be law to himself
He was not to understand his college libcrt
as implying no recognition Of law, but rathe
that which could only be fully enjoyed /
| and under its protection. There were fewe
penalties, but these were more grievous
: their nature. Hours for recitations an
other purposes were To be preserved, becaus
| system and order and discipline had not "
completed their work, and this work wa
that at which the whole curriculum wa
aiming.
The new system, however, removed a
restrictions. The individual will should nc
be restrained. Attendance upon recitation
must be absolutely voluntary. All tn
minor details, supposed to be necessary I
every well.Ordered household, were to
discarded. The majority Of the individual
intellectual and moral was to be anticipated
Professors were to he freed from any specia
care for the habits and morals of thel
pupils, while their duties were to be coDtine
solely to imparting intellectual instruction
at certain definite hours, to those who chos
/ | to attend at the time specified
One step further was taken. The grlestio
, arose quite naturally. II no fixed course
, required Of the youth, why shall he be con
, | PEELED to attend daily prayers and Sunda
| services? Is it not better that attendance o
these should be left to his own volition-t
his own spiritual longings? And SO, instea
| Of tho college being Of service, az in fOrms
| days, to strengthen the intellect, the will, IL
:, | spiritual fibre, by the gradual withdrawal {
, | the props that the child demanded, which wei
3 lovingly furnished at home and judiciOusly pr,
r | vided at schOol-it is made the arena whel
r | all these are thrown aside, and the youth
' | called upon to bear the burdens and underg
: the temptations of manhood with little IL an
' assistance whatever. That the risk to
undergone is great, no one will deny that